At the Law Offices of Jacob Emrani, our bicycle accident lawyers can work with a contingency fee agreement. It avoids paying upfront legal expenses. If you or a loved one has been injured in a bike accident, the physical, emotional, and financial impacts are enough of a burden. Employing a bike accident professional on a contingency fee can make hiring a lawyer more affordable.
We’ll explain how a contingency fee works and how it can help you get fairly compensated for financial and other losses.
How Does a Contingency Fee Agreement Work?
When an attorney charges a contingency fee, they’re not paid until compensation is recovered at the end of the case. Their payment is obtained from a portion of the funds received in a settlement or judgment. The client gets the remainder, minus any liens or other costs deducted from the total amount.
A contingency fee agreement is a written contract. The fee is a percentage of the final settlement value. The actual percentage can be determined by factors such as:
- The lawyer’s expertise
- Difficulty of the case
- Risks of the case losing
- Court costs
- Amount of work required
These can add up to a significant legal bill. However, a contingency fee agreement makes hiring a lawyer possible when it would otherwise be too expensive. Instead of being limited to how much the insurance company is willing to offer, your legal representative helps you get fair compensation.
Perhaps the greatest benefit of paying a contingency fee is you owe nothing to the lawyer if they don’t win your case. This also means they must secure compensation to be paid. Therefore, contingency fees can motivate an attorney to work hard to obtain a fair payout.
What Services Does a Contingency Fee Cover?
A contingency fee can cover a wide range of legal services. These can vary in scope depending on the complexity of your case. A bike accident lawyer’s contingency fee can cover the following:
- Case Evaluation: At the beginning of the case, your attorney will look at medical records, find and contact witnesses, gather evidence, and take on other tasks that help determine the strength of your case.
- Accident Investigation: It may be necessary to gather additional evidence and details of the bicycle accident. Your lawyer may obtain surveillance footage, conduct thorough witness interviews, or hire accident reconstruction experts. Obtaining documents also requires paying fees, which are included in your lawyer’s calculation.
- Insurance Company Negotiations: Personal injury cases often involve multiple rounds of negotiations with the at-fault party’s insurance company. Determining the claim’s worth is one step. Your attorney must also present proof and build a strong argument to justify asking for higher compensation.
- Litigation: Most personal injury cases end in a settlement. However, negotiations sometimes fail. Your bicycle accident attorney must then represent you in court. The entire process, including presenting arguments, cross-examining witnesses, etc., can be costly and time-consuming.
- Witnesses: Expert witnesses must be paid for the time they take to provide testimony. A lawyer must factor in hiring fees, travel costs, and other expenses when calculating their fee.
- Court Fees: A court can charge filing fees and fees for serving a summons or subpoena. Other court costs include payments to jurors, paperwork, in-court testimony, and compensation to the court clerk and court marshal. The actual fees vary depending on the court and the complexity of the case.
How Do I Ask My Lawyer About Their Legal Fees?
Your initial consultation shouldn’t only cover the strength of your case. Asking fee-related questions helps you understand the cost of legal services and your attorney’s payment expectations. Even if your lawyer offers a contingency fee arrangement, it may not include every cost, so have them explain the agreement so there are no surprise expenses.
Having a few questions ready at your meeting can ensure important points are discussed. Aside from asking a legal professional exactly what their fee structure is, consider the following questions:
- Do you charge any upfront fees?
- How are your fees calculated?
- Will there be additional expenses?
- Can you estimate the total costs of my case?
- What circumstances could add to the costs?
Call Jacob to Speak with a Bike Accident Lawyer Today
Our experienced Los Angeles bicycle accident lawyer fights for maximum compensation by considering the severity of your injuries, the circumstances of the accident, and applicable bicycle accident laws. Bicyclists have little protection, so an automobile accident often results in severe injuries. We ensure your legal rights are protected and best interests are represented. Over the years, we’ve recovered millions of dollars on our clients’ behalf. For a free consultation, call The Law Offices of Jacob Emrani at (888) 952-2952.